Brewery president Jeff Hamilton said the company is putting an adult spin on a flavor many grew up with.

Sprecher has created a malted version of its famous root beer for adults only.

Four years in the making, Hamilton said many people ask what took so long to come up with an alcoholic root beer.

"It would seem obvious that we would do something like this," he said. "But the chemistry involved is quite complex."

This is Sprecher's first go at a malted product, so Hamilton said tweaks to the brew will be made.

"I'm gonna try it," said Sherri Goodwin of Milwaukee. "I'm not a big beer fan, but I really love their root beer."

And that is the reaction that Hamilton is hoping for as they look to reinvent their brand with "Bootlegger's Bourbon Barrel."

While Sprecher's flavors spread to 24 different states, the company seeks to keep its ingredients and materials as close to home as possible. The glass bottles come from Burlington, honey from Germantown and the malt from Chilton.

"All the major ingredients for our products we try to source locally," Hamilton said. "That's a big thing for us."

And it appears to be important to customers, as well.

"I really like to support the local breweries," Goodwin said. "If I'm going to buy a soda, I'd rather honestly buy something local than Coca-Cola."

Sprecher has grown from one man to 52 employees in its 30 years, and the company is proud to be Made In Wisconsin.